Do you find it increasingly difficult to turn the steering wheel when you need to navigate a corner? You may wonder if there is anything wrong with your power steering system or the steering rack itself, but it may be that your car is simply out of alignment. What does this mean and what are the implications?

Alignment in the Old Days

A few years back, tyre technicians would use analogue equipment to help them properly align the front wheels of any car or truck when new covers were fitted. They'd make sure that the wheels pointed straight ahead and that the correct 'footprint' matched the road surface. They'd also ensure that the wheels were slightly angled inward at the top on each side and were finely adjusted in relation to the steering rack.

Present-Day Complexity

Today, modern vehicles require a lot more than that and technicians will typically balance and adjust the alignment on all four wheels. Furthermore, they are likely to use computerised equipment to make it even easier to calculate the correct figures and get you back on the road.

How Things Go Wrong

Alignment is critically important, but it can easily fall out of line due to the condition of Australian roads and those occasional bumps against a kerb. These outside forces will cause small adjustments to the good work of the technician and in this case, a little goes a long way.

Symptoms of an Issue

If your car has improper alignment, it will be difficult for you to keep the car in a straight line when you're going down an otherwise straight road. The vehicle will tend to pull to one side or the other under braking and you may also find that the steering wheel shakes. It can be difficult to manoeuvre around any corner and this may have prompted you to check what is wrong in the first place.

Saving Your Tyres

If this condition is not rectified, then the tyres will start to wear down inconsistently and at an alarming rate. You may find that they become unserviceable even though they appear to be fine over most of the surface. Unfortunately, the inside or outside edge will have deteriorated so much that the tyre may not be legal for use on the public road.

Getting It Fixed

The good news is that tyre alignment does not take mechanics and vehicle service technicians long to do and will help prolong the life of your tyres.

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